Pluto TV × My5 Integration

Paramount wanted to simplify its tech stack by integrating Pluto TV with My5 — but the team lacked clarity on how UK viewing habits, expectations and cultural nuances might differ from other markets.

Method

I ran in-depth interviews with UK viewers focused on viewing patterns, device usage, content discovery and expectations of free ad-supported TV.

Findings

• A stronger emphasis on live and linear programming than anticipated.
• A desire for seamless access to diverse libraries without juggling multiple apps.
• Frustration with fragmented tech stacks and repetitive sign-in flows.

I produced low-fidelity wireframes as distinct directions — content-first views, simplified switching between Pluto and My5, and hybrid layouts that respected mixed consumption habits — and used them to drive collaborative stakeholder decisions.

The mobile layout starts with a full-bleed cinematic hero that bleeds edge-to-edge for immediate visual impact, with a white headline floating over the image and a single yellow accent driving the primary action.

• Filled CTA versus secondary ghost button to keep a clear hierarchy.
• Three-tier hierarchy: title → metadata → actions, with metadata in a lighter style.
• Animated broadcast icon signals live, interactive content.
• Muted progress bar stays minimal and contextual.
• Icon-forward tab bar with an understated active state.
• Consistent thumbnails carrying subtle "On Now" tags.

On tablet the hero shifts to a letterbox cinematic composition that lets editorial imagery breathe, while persistent navigation and a mini-player respect the lean-back posture.

• Title stays readable over complex imagery via text shadow and placement over darker zones.
• Progress bar scaled proportionally to runtime duration.
• Recent Channels combines a thumbnail card with a text block — title, rating, time remaining.
• Persistent mini-player overlaps a dark card; thumbnail, title and time are readable at a glance.
• Nav icons pair with full text labels — space-afforded, reduced cognitive load.

The desktop web experience moves from bottom tab bars to a centered top nav, with the player taking half the vertical space and an EPG anchoring discovery below it.

• Active state on "Live TV" uses a yellow accent with filled play icon — no underline.
• Player takes half vertical space; controls grouped below — playback left, view mode right.
• Scrubber shows elapsed and total time; thin and minimal.
• TV-MA rating sits in an outlined badge, separating classification from metadata.
• EPG below the player runs three columns: Now Playing, Next, Later.
• Current program carries a yellow left-border accent — a "you are here" indicator.
• Yellow scrollbar on the EPG maintains brand cohesion down to the scroll affordance.

I extended Pluto TV's design system to meet UK regulatory standards — accessibility, content labeling — and reconciled My5's existing conventions across mobile, tablet and connected TV so one viewer never felt two brands fighting for attention.

The integration delivered measurable results — +30% Pluto TV usage and +54% registrations in the UK — while unifying Paramount's tech stack and strengthening its presence in a key international market.